The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-11-24


pointment seems imperative. But as such
transfer is proposed by other bills now be-
fore the House we pass the subject for the
present.
The military functions of the Governors,
as now existing, by which each Governor
holds the rank Of General and is the Com
mander-in-Chief of the military forces upon
his or her island are, in our opinion, alb
surd and farcical Since the days OF Joan
of Arc no nation, we believe, except Hawaii
has seen the wisdom OF elevating a woman
to a military command in chief, but the
wisdom, or lack of wisdom of our late au-
thorities promoted no less than two women
to this distinction, which they still retain.
AS there are now two bills before the House
providing for the organization of the mill
tary forces of the Kingdom, your commit
tee consider that the bill now under discus
sion need not attempt any disposition of
the military powers of Governors.
Another of the duties of Governors is the
issuing of passports to permit females from
the other islands to visit Oahu Act of 10th
January, 1865, Comp. Laws, p. 513, Section
y. We think the Hawaiian woman has
outgrown any previous need for such re-
striction upon her movements, but if still
needed there are several other officers, in
Guiding Circuit and District Judges, Sher-
ifs and Collectors of Customs, competent
and authorized to issue such passports, and
we think the Governor is not needed to
properly administer this law.
By.an Act of August 1, 1873 Compiled
Laws, 614,) the Governor is empowered
to authorize the Decentralization of passen-
gers from ships arrived from Asiatic ports.
But as this power is also held by the col
lector of any port, the withdrawal thereof
from the Governor will in no way
cripple the administration o. the law.
By section l Of chapter XXX1X of the
Laws of 1874 (as amended by chapter II of
the Laws of 1880, Compiled Laws 636, the
Governor Of Oahu receives and disburses
the appropriation for bands, flags and sa-
lutes. 1t seems to US entirely unnecessary
that a paymaSter should be interjected
into the machinery of Government for this
meagre service, which might, with greater
convenience and propriety, be performed
by any Minister or the leader of the band.
The Governors duty in the suppression
is shared by so many police and judicial
officers as to render the Governor super
fuous in the premises.
The Governors of Oahu and Maui (Penal
Code, page 100, sections 10 16,) are obliged
to cause bells to be rung at Honolulu at
$50 and 1920 o'clock, and at Lahaina at
and O'Clock in the evening, as warnings
to marines to go on board their vessels.
These duties are the result of conditions
long since passed away, and, as a matter
OF fact, are not, and for some years have
not been observed, and are now unneces-
sary.
Your committee have thus at length dis
cussed the present state of the Law with
reference to the duties of Governors tor
fully inform this honorable House upon
the subject and to support our opinion
that the office is and has long been an ex-
pensiye superAuity, whose very few useful
duties can with benefit to the public serY-
ice be transferred to other hands.
AS will be seen by the foregoing enumer-
alton of the duties of Governors, it seems
to have been the constant aim and object
of the Legislature to so identify the office
of Governor with the administration of
the laws as to furnish a lengthy list Of
duties to be performed by them, and thus
perpetuate a really useless office by render
ing such list of duties so apparently for
midable as to discourage legislative attacks
upon the office itself. But your commit
tee are convinced that there is now no
duty incumbent upon any Governor which
could not with positive advantage to the
public service, be transferred to other
hands, as is proposed by the bill now under
discussion, while many of the so-called
duties are nominal merely, or useless.
The expense of maintaining the office of
Governor is another weighty argument
against its continuance By the Appropri-
alton Act OF 1856, the following items were
appropriated for salaries in connection
with this office, and have since been drawn
with faultless regularity, viz:
Salary of Governor of Oahu, per
year Observation-Disclosures. $1,8C0
Salary of his clerk, per year ...... 1920
Salary of Governor Of Maui, per
year Observation-Disclosures. 1900
SatarJ of his clerk, per year ....... 1000
Salary of GOvefness of Hawaii, per
Salary of her clerk, per year 1,0C5
Salary of Govelness of Kauai, per
year. ................... 1900
Salary of her clerk, per year .. 800
Iotal Observation-Disclosures. .$ll, geo
In addition to which there was appro-
priated $500 for incidentals for the offices
during the biennial periods, thus bringing
the total expense to within a trif1e of $12,-
600 annually, or 81 900 per month
Therefore, your committee submit that
on the score of economy alone, even with
other reasons wanting, this office should
be abolished, and we therefore recommend
that the bill submitted for our considera-
ton, entitled can Act to Abolish the Of
flee of Governor" do pass without amend